One of the most profound truths in Scripture is the total defeat of the devil. Actually, his defeat is historic, complete, and unquestionable. Even the devil knows he is defeated. The big problem is that most Christians do not understand this fact. Since Satan is still the “god of this world,” it appears that he operates as “business as usual.”
The signs of Bible prophecies that are either fulfilled or clearly being fulfilled leaves no doubt as to Satan’s demise. The Christian life should not be lived as someone striving toward victory. We do not live for the victory, but because of the victory. Our spiritual life is the result of a victory already won. The Son of God decimated every power of Satan, his destruction is complete.
We must learn to live our lives in this total victory while understanding that it is presently true only in the Spiritual realm. Satan’s defeat is not yet visible in the natural world of the fallen nature. The unclean system of the world is not yet cleansed of this dark and evil being. That’s the coming great judgment of the End Times that we see in the Book of Revelation.
Let’s review this victory that will soon occur. First, Satan will be cast out of the Second Heaven. This happens near the beginning of the Seven Years of Tribulation and after the Rapture. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him”(Revelation 20:7-9). At that point, Satan is confined to the earth and can never appear before the Father again to accuse the Saints of God.
Then, at the end of the seven years he will be cast out of the earth into the “bottomless pit” to be tormented by the judgments of God. This will be his finality except for a short period at the end of the one thousand years when he tempts the natural people born during that time. John wrote by the exact words Jesus Christ gave him, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). This is his eternal abode and torments.
While we await this final defeat, we must learn to live in the Spiritual domain, not the physical. We have no defense against Satan in our flesh. If we live in the flesh, we will get decimated instead of the devil. Apostle Paul explained this carefully, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:8-9).
The average Christian today has never learned this incredible truth and the result is helplessness in both their walk with Christ and their prayer life. I feel angry at myself because I have failed to teach this level of spiritual victory. We should be storming the gates of hell when we are barely holding the fort. The present church world is more of a club than an army.
God’s faithful prophets warned us in Scripture to make no room for the devil. “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:4-5).
When we face Satan in the Biblical provision of a Spirit-filled life, he is totally defeated. This kind of warfare is no longer just a privilege, but it is the only lasting victory for these End Times. Jesus Christ told us of this victory but our flesh is slow to learn. He stated… “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:18b-19). He even said, “…. If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).
The person of the Holy Ghost did not come to tickle our fancy, but to empower His church to perfect victory. We are a spiritual army or we are defeated pilgrims spending years in the wilderness. Let’s become His army as we await His appearance in the sky.
Joseph R. Chambers